Chicken and Leek Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you put puff pastry at the bottom of a pie? ›

For this pie, I use puff pastry. It's probably one of my favourite pastry as it's delicious and buttery and heavenly. I do line the base of the pie with pastry, which is optional – but I love it. You blind bake the pastry slightly to prevent a completely soggy bottom however.

Press well down all round the top edge, trim any excess about 2cm down sides and press pastry firmly against side of dish. Make a slit or hole in the top and brush with beaten egg. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until pastry golden and risen.

The leek pie filling is simple: basically buttered, softened leeks, crème fraîche, egg yolks, nutmeg and seasoning. Slice the cleaned leeks and toss over a medium heat for 5 minutes in melted unsalted butter.

Blind Bake the Crust

One of the fool-proof ways to ensure a crisp bottom pie crust is to do what is called blind baking. This simply means that you bake the crust—either fully if you are adding a custard or cream that won't be cooked, or partially if the whole pie needs to bake—before adding the filling.

One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

Blind baking the crust in the oven before adding the filling will prevent a soggy bottom.

When making a pie with a pastry top or lid, choose a dish with a rim and allow the filling to get cold before topping with pastry. Roll out pastry large enough to cover dish and with some spare.

Do I need to blind bake pastry cases when cooking with wet fillings? As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you're making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch.

Cover the pie dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, preheat oven to 180°C.

Is chicken pie healthy or unhealthy? ›

Traditional chicken pot pies have a reputation for being rich in calories, saturated fats, and sodium, making them a questionable choice for those seeking a balanced diet.

Whether it's chicken and leek pie or a pasty, traditional pastry treats are a popular choice. Sadly, they're not great as a regular part of your diet. An average individual meat pie provides around 450kcal, but the biggest problem is the 12g of saturated fat inside it – that's more than half the daily guideline.

Leeks are the mildest of the onion family and really shine when they're cooked, offering a lovely subtlety to dishes and a delicate, melty texture. Typically, the white and light green parts are consumed, while the dark green tops are left out, being full of fibers and hard to chew.

The most edible parts of leeks are the bottom white and light green parts because they are tender and have the most flavor. The dark green parts are technically edible but to a lesser extent because they are quite tough. If you do want to eat the dark green parts, be sure to saute them well so they soften.

Leeks are alliums, so they're related to garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. Tasting them, you can tell. They have a sweet, oniony flavor that adds depth to soups, stews, pastas, and more!

1) poke the pastry lightly with a fork. This will let steam escape while baking. After poking the holes, do your roll up. 3) Make sure the puff pastry is COLD.

If using the puff pastry as a base for a tart, lightly score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry using a sharp knife. This will help the border to rise when baked and create a raised edge for the fillings in the middle.

Shortcrust pastry is the best for pies that fully encase a filling as they tend to be firmer and less likely to leak. Puff pastry is great if you prefer just a pastry lid on top of the filling. Ready rolled shop-bought pastry are easy to handle and quite reliable - even professional chefs appreciate the convenience!

Line the base and sides of an uncooked pastry case with non-stick baking paper. Fill with rice, dried beans, or metal or ceramic baking weights. (This stops the pastry base rising during cooking.) Place on a baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 220C for 8-10 minutes.